The USL Women's Super League champion Tampa Bay Sun announced an ambitious plan for their own 15,000-seat stadium, joining a growing trend of facilities being built specifically for women's sports.
The project announced Tuesday would be the first stadium for a team in the Women's Super League, which sits on the top tier of women's soccer in the United States alongside the National Women's Soccer League.
The expected cost and timeline for the project, which includes the new headquarters for the USL, have not been disclosed.
The stadium would be part of a 33-acre project in Tampa’s historic Ybor City district by developer David Shaw, who is also Tampa Bay’s majority owner. The area was once considered for a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium.
“We believe in the power of sport to inspire, unite, and drive meaningful change," Shaw said in a statement. "By anchoring this historic neighborhood with a vibrant home for women’s professional soccer, we’re investing in our city’s future and honoring the community that makes it thrive.”
The Tampa Bay Sun won the Super League's inaugural championship on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Fort Lauderdale United. The eight-team league, which kicked off last fall, will be joined by a ninth team next season.
The NWSL's Kansas City Current built the first women's soccer stadium, CPKC Stadium, which opened last year.
The expansion NWSL team in Denver, which will begin play next season, has announced its plans to build a stadium. Brighton of the Women's Super League in England won local approval for a stadium in 2023 but there's no current timeline for construction.
Other women's teams are investing in building their own facilities, too. The WNBA's Indiana Fever in January announced a $78 million training facility that will open in 2027, giving the team its own space apart from the NBA’s Pacers.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press
